Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday outlined a series of government measures undertaken to build a modern agricultural system where marginal farmers would be transformed into empowered entrepreneurs and the agriculture sector would be the key driver of national prosperity.
He said the present agriculture-friendly government’s main objective is to build a self-reliant, climate-resilient, technology-driven and farmer-centric modern agricultural system where production and marketing will be fully data-driven, while our marginal farmers will be transformed into empowered entrepreneurs and the agriculture sector will emerge as the key driver of national prosperity.
The prime minister, who is in Moulvibazar on a visit, shared the plans in a written answer that was in response to a question which was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday from treasury bench lawmaker from Sirajganj-1 constituency Md Salim Reza in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) this afternoon with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.
Highlighting several initiatives already undertaken by the government, the Leader of the House said his government has already launched the ‘Krishak Card (Farmer Card)’ distribution programme on April 14 this year to ensure farmers’ unique identification and facilitate access to agricultural inputs at fair prices, government subsidies and incentives, low-cost irrigation facilities and agricultural machinery on easy terms.
He said the programme is currently being implemented in 11 agricultural blocks across 11 upazilas in 10 districts, which are located in eight divisions, as part of the pre-piloting phase. So far, 20,832 Krishak Cards have been distributed, the premier added.
Tarique Rahman stated, “the government has already waived agricultural loans of up to Taka 10,000 in the crop, livestock and fisheries sectors.”
For this purpose, Taka 1,567.96 crore has been allocated for the current fiscal year 2025-26, he said.
As a result, approximately 1,317,500 farmers across the country will benefit, the Prime Minister said.
He also said, “the government has undertaken an initiative to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals nationwide.”
“The programme is expected to reduce pressure on groundwater resources, alleviate waterlogging, ensure irrigation facilities, create rural employment and strengthen the country’s food security,” the premier added.
The Prime Minister said that urea, DAP, TSP and MOP fertilisers are being supplied directly to farmers at highly affordable prices. Besides, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is ensuring the supply of high-yielding and climate-resilient seeds.
Tarique Rahman added, “the government is placing special emphasis on the development of high-yielding and stress-tolerant crop varieties, alongside the expansion of smart agriculture and precision agriculture technologies.”
To ensure fair prices for farmers, he said, the government is directly procuring paddy and wheat from them and establishing ‘Krishak Bazar’ (Farmers’ Markets) across the country.
The Prime Minister further said, “the Ministry of Agriculture is taking steps to formulate short-, medium- and long-term action plans for introducing advanced technologies in the agricultural sector, including sensors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and drones.”
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